Camphill Ghent Newsletter "The Prism"

The Prism

Culinary Arts

By Louise Frazier

As a holistic community, whole foods are a priority for us at Camphill Ghent. Here is the story of Louise Frazier’s lifelong love of healthy, nourishing cuisine as a fine example of our commitment to eating and living well.

Food has been a passion my whole life long. My family had an innate sense for balanced meals; we were big on vegetables and light on meat.

Good food becomes you!

In the wholeness of food is the preservation of life!

I always associated food with love because we always had really good food. Food has to look good, taste good, and be good for you. I approach cuisine in relation to the seasons. Here is an excerpt from my cookbook, “Louise’s Leaves”, demonstrating my seasonal approach:

With the beginning of spring, our thoughts turn to lean and clean. In addition to household and pantry, annual nutritional cleansing has long been the order of the season in cultures worldwide. A set of dietary wellness methods Louise refers to as “spring fast practices” help in lightening oneself to meet summer and its warmth.

Lighter meals and sour tastes replace the sweeter, heavier foods of winter, lifting our spirits. In finishing up the stores of root vegetables from last year’s harvest, herbs are changed from the strong and warming to those more subtle and sour.

My interest in cooking has manifested in several ways. My husband Wolfgang and I started a restaurant in Germany where we sourced all our produce from local farms. It was called Sprouts, and it was open for over 20 years. In Connecticut, I delved deeply into the world of elder nutrition.

I created a menu for elder programming at a senior center, and was responsible for establishing Meals on Wheels in my region of Northwest Connecticut. Food was my passion even in my work. Belonging to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) has also been a priority for me.

Photo of Louise out grocery shopping at the local health food store.

The Coming of Spring

Poem written by Sean and Gail

It’s not snowing now, but there’s snow on the ground. It’s not blowing now, and there’s barely a sound. The trees all hang bare, getting ready for spring, and to answer my prayer, that the birds will soon sing.

Summer’s clearly passed, the flowers are long gone; now comes winter’s icy blast. First night, then the dawn.

We have many cozy nooks for contemplation in Camphill Ghent so people such as Christa can enjoy a quiet moment.

Camphill Ghent Board of Directors

Amanda Pierro Executive Director

John Carroll

Board President

Chris Fish-Acker Secretary

William Vogt Treasurer David Clark

Assistant Treasurer

Anna Rèe Ben Matlock Jos Smeele

Roy Tau

Jacquelyn Bieringer Mary Kornman

Editorial Team

Kristina Labaty Ivy Sharron

Painting by Sylvia Bausman

Amanda Pierro

Carol Cole and David Barlow

New townhouse residents

In November 2022, David and Carol joined our community, moving to us all the way from Northern California. We are so very fortunate to have David and Carol with us, as they bring decades of Camphill experience.

Carol was born in California and moved to many places both in the United States and abroad. She worked to establish schools for young children and their mothers in a variety of settings. Carol discovered the Waldorf Schools while searching for the best way to educate. Likewise, she found Camphill while investigating the best way to create a safe vessel for mothers and children. Carol moved to South Africa right after Nelson Mandela became president. There, she launched a kindergarten that included children of color from the township; this was very trailblazing inclusive work.

David was born in London and moved to South Africa in his twenties. He has been in Camphill since 1976 when he joined as one of the founding members of Hermanus, the farm community in South Africa. He also lived in The Cresset and Camphill Village West Coast, spending 7 years in each setting.

David and Carol met at the Philadelphia Train Station and then moved to San Francisco where they began working at the Raphael Children’s Shelter. They worked at the shelter while launching The Sophia Project in 1998. The mission of the Sophia Project was to protect the light within each child and protect the children and mothers from recurring homelessness. The Sophia Project closed in 2015, yet David and Carol continued to work informally with the families until last year. The Sophia Project was groundbreaking work within the Camphill Movement and was a huge endeavor for this couple. They fundraised every penny for it, and they gained recognition for this moving project. The City of Oakland gave them an award for social renewal.

It was in a Camphill Association gathering where David first heard of Camphill Ghent and immediately expressed an interest. David and Carol were part of the initial conversations and wished to join immediately after it was opened. The timing was not compatible with their other responsibilities, so it was only last year that it became possible. With their wealth of experience in Camphill and in social services, we are so fortunate to have David and Carol join our community! Welcome to you both!

LeeAnn Brignull

Stellar new member of the Camphill Ghent Kitchen staff

Our newest kitchen staff member joined us in October after many years working in food service. After hearing that this is a wonderful place to work, LeeAnn felt drawn to come and be a part of Camphill Ghent. LeeAnn feels that one can explore with food, and she really loves experimenting. Soups are one of her favorites because there is room for improvisation. She never makes the same soup twice, which is what she loves about it. Her favorite soup to make is the seafood chowder.

“I never thought I would enjoy working in such a social environment as much as I do. Camphill Ghent is so warm and inviting, and this goes into every aspect of life here,” says LeeAnn.

Family is very important to LeeAnn. She has two kids, a son and a daughter. She was born in Burlington, VT but moved here at age 6, so she is more or less a Columbia County native. She loves walking in nature and going to the beaches of this region. She enjoys going to concerts of any kind; the atmosphere is so special when there is music. Her favorite color is green. Her favorite meal is surf and turf or Alaskan King Crab legs. LeeAnn’s birthday is on October 14.

LeeAnn calls this her “forever job.” She says, “I look forward to deepening my relationships with the residents and with the overall environment of Camphill Ghent.” She anticipates finding ways to further the mission of Camphill Ghent by creating nice events and helping people celebrate their lives here, “bringing smiles to their faces!”

LeeAnn, second from the left

As part of our programming, we host activities that acknowledge many spiritual paths. Here are two gentlemen from Albany, Syed Zahur and Ali Mohammed, who came to tell us about the Muslim path. Also pictured is our Easter Sunrise Gathering.

Our community is intergenerational. We have children who reside here and also enjoy many children who come to visit us regularly. Pictured is Simon Carlson with Francesca and Anne enjoying the sunshine. Also, we have Eleanor with Dorothy holding a sweet little bunny.

Rodd Koch

Physical Therapist

For the past 26 years, Rodd Koch has been practicing physical therapy and has worked in over 100 facilities. He has been working with Camphill Ghent residents for seven years. Staying physically fit is an essential component to wellness as we age, says Rodd. It allows us to remain independent as long as possible. Rodd say, “If elders are not active, they lose agency over their lives. Lack of movement removes choice. People need to have fitness in their lives at least two or three times a week. You have to do something; a sedentary lifestyle is not healthy.”

According to Rodd,

The aspects of the lifestyle he sees as particularly beneficial are the care systems, the hygiene, and the programming. With the care systems, he recognizes that there is genuine follow through on the recommendations he makes. He sees our buildings as both beautiful and extremely clean. He says there is “a very positive force” to our whole community. This is brought about by the amazing activities we have in place, like recognizing those who have died at a once-a-week gathering. Also, he sees us as being very inclusive of different outlooks and spiritual paths through our programming. Rodd says, “Who does that besides you?” He says we are an innovative example of community life with older adults.

There are elements of our lifestyle that are unique to us. One aspect that distinguishes us from other elder support communities is having live-in staff. This allows for a different kind of relationship building with the residents. The attitude of relationship building then permeates the whole organization, as staff retention is very good in our Assisted Living homes. This ensures greater continuity of care, since we understand those who live here. There is a personal relationship between staff and residents that Rodd just does not see anywhere else.

Rodd says Camphill Ghent is one of the best places in the Capital District for staff retention, interaction with residents, and creating a genuine home for people. He also sees people living longer than in other facilities. “There needs to be more of you,” remarks Rodd. Thank you, Rodd, for your devoted service to our residents!

the lifestyle at Camphill

Ghent encourages those who live here to be well overall due to the holistic approaches we practice.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference

By Barb Cooley

Solaris 2/9 - 2/11

A group of us (Jodi, Rosie, Chris, Barb C., and Christina B) attended the DEI conference at Solaris. For those unfamiliar with the acronym, DEI stands for Diversity, Equity. Inclusion (with an expansion into justice, acceptance, and belonging.) DEI emerged after the death of George Floyd and is a holistic and spiritual approach to dealing with sexual discrimination, racism, and other forms of social injustice. We looked at this challenging subject in the context of Camphill communities who are surely welcoming to those who are developmentally different, but what of the other areas?

River Parker delivered a moving keynote address titled “Radical Acceptance in a Radically Troubled World .” She reminded us that Camphill emerged during the Hitler era, just before WWII. It seems as if today’s radically troubled world might again invite Camphill’s serious involvement. She reminded us that our engagement and actions today will help create the future.

Through a variety of small group discussions and large group sharing, we agreed that our responsibility as attendees was to bring these challenging ideas back to our communities and to encourage not only discussion but also action. We want to be sure we are not only welcoming folks who are developmentally different but also those with different racial backgrounds and sexual orientations. As in the environment, variety makes us more beautiful, stronger, and more vibrant! I look forward to carrying this work further within our community.

Camphill Ghent is a vibrant residential community for elders that offers a meaningful quality of life and a rich, active social program designed to support residents in maintaining their independence and joy of living.

Please visit our website at camphillghent.org for more information about joining our community, activities and events, and making a donation

To help support Camphill Ghent through donations or to subscribe to our email list, contact Ivy Sharron,

E: ivysharron@camphillghent.org

Top row from left: Rosie, Jodi, Madelon

Bottom row from left: Chris, Barbara, Christina